Aug72015

San Diego Comic-Con. 130,000 fans of comic books, film, and TV all came together for one 4-day immersive experience. Fans of all shapes, sizes and colors, many in full costumes. And in the center of it all was Marvel Comics and its booth on the immense SDCC show floor.

This was the scene on Thursday, July 10, when the Marvel + Adobe Avengers comic was officially released. While SDCC attendees lined up to pick up their free copies, students Hayden Sherman, Alexandria Huntington and Chad Lewis signed their work for fans, and then got private portfolio reviews from top Marvel editor Tom Brevoort.

Through a partnership with Adobe & Marvel these students got the career-making opportunity to design and illustrate an original limited-edition Avengers origin story comic. With creative guidance from the team at Marvel and the flexibility to seamlessly take their work from hand-sketched beginnings to completed digital illustrations using Creative Cloud each of them illustrated a different Avenger in their own unique style.

May152015

Judy Durkin spent 23 years as an award-­‐winning graphic designer when she realized what she loved was teaching her teenage interns how to be designers. Thirteen years ago Judy entered the classroom and is now an award-­‐winning educator, an Adobe Education Leader, and a trendsetter on the Adobe Education Exchange. She is passionate about using technology to transform education by engaging young minds. Through more than 225 resources on the Adobe Education Exchange and her LearnDurkin website, you can see how Judy weaves reading and writing into all her lessons while teaching digital arts skills in a visually rich format that reaches, engages, and inspires her students.

Where, and in what school, do you teach?

I teach 16 different classes at the International Bilingual School at Tainan Science Park in Tainan, Taiwan. The school is a separate bilingual school within Taiwan’s #2 ranked public K-­‐12 school. Most of the students are children of diplomats or college professors, which makes for a student body that takes its studies very seriously and is a joy to teach. Of course, there are some of the usual childhood antics but less classroom management problems than I experienced in my 10 years of teaching in the United States.

What is your teaching background?

I was a freelance graphic designer in the Seattle area for over 30 years. I hired high school students to help in my freelance work from time to time. I decided to become a teacher when I realized I enjoyed teaching my high school employees the ropes of design work more than I liked freelancing. Teaching meant a huge cut in my income, but it has been worth it seeing several of my students go on to forge successful careers in commercial art.

What is your greatest challenge as an educator? How do you work to overcome that challenge?

Teaching in a computer lab has challenges. It is a real battle to get students to do preliminary sketches BEFORE they get on the computer. Students try to add every font, pattern, drop shadow, and manipulation to a project thinking that design is nothing more than software tricks. In my curriculum, students must master the design foundations of layout, color, and typography. Each lesson weaves a foundational skill into the thrill of learning powerful Adobe software. Students enjoy the great learning games that have been posted on EdEx, such as “Learn to Use the Pen Tool” posted by Kimberly Larson, “SerifTraining Interactive Website” posted by Clint Balsar, “Type Connection: A TypographicDating Game” posted by Mike Skocko, and “Photoshop Ninja Moves 4: Blend Modes” posted by Pete Episcopo. I usually follow the 20minute game playing with a relevant project where the students creatively demonstrate their understanding of the day’s design rules.

Tell us a story about a case where you used creativity in your teaching practice? What student outcomes did you see?

Although I have taught high school-­‐age students for most of my teaching career, for the last three years I have made a change and have been teaching Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop,

InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Muse to grades 4 – 8. At first I didn’t think the 8 year-­‐old students in grade 4 would be able to grasp the concepts and software skills, but I was wrong. I found some excellent lessons on the Education Exchange and have been surprised at how quickly the children gobble-­‐up the skills. By the time my students reach 8th grade, I will have some excellent young designers with which to contend.

Once students catch the “Adobe fever”, it is hard to get them out of the computer lab. I build on that enthusiasm by increasing the challenges. Ultimately, students work on projects for nonprofit organizations so that students understand the need to meet client needs and expectations. One of my favorite places to find “real world” projects that students can work on is: http://www.artheroes.org — check it out.

By the time the semester is over, my students have skills that will help them achieve their creative dreams. Their designs are communicated clearly and powerfully. With some students, we talk about art schools, technical schools, and entry-­‐level jobs. If a student shows aptitude, I help them get small freelance jobs with former clients and friends in the industry.

What is your experience with the Adobe Education Exchange?

A quick tour of the Education Exchange rejuvenates me after a long day of teaching. There is no other place on the Internet where I can find so many opportunities to connect with other teachers and find inspiration to pass on to my students. The professional development is second-­‐to-­‐none. The collaborative classes are a fun way to try new things and exchange new teaching/lesson ideas with teachers of all ages and skill levels. I think I have only missed one of the classes. While I wait to see what new classes will be offered, I have done quite a few of the self-­‐paced workshops. They are quick refreshers; I always come away with a new idea to try.

How has the Adobe Education Exchange benefitted you? How do you think it can benefit others?

The Adobe Education Exchange has made a big difference in my teaching, my professional connections, and my software skills. The only thing that comes close is Adobe TV, but that’s another story.

I have shared 225 posts so far on the Education Exchange. I gladly share everything I do in the classroom because I believe that teaching is not about coveting personal success but about spreading success to every student everywhere. By sharing and collaborating, teachers can bring more to the classroom and help students realize their dreams.

Mar242015

Are you a student looking to showcase your talent, get advice from top-tier professionals, gain invaluable real-world experience, and build your portfolio? If so, Adobe has the perfect opportunity for you! We’ve teamed up with Marvel to make comic book history and give you a chance to apply your cutting edge skills.

WHAT’S THE DEAL?
We’re looking for 4 students with 4 distinct styles to team up with Marvel pros to create a limited-edition Avengers comic, powered by Creative Cloud, to debut during San Diego Comic-Con.

If chosen, you’ll contribute to the comic, get a ticket to San Diego Comic-Con, and a one-on-one portfolio review with the Marvel pros. Your comic will also be printed and distributed in comic stores across the United States.
You may also be featured on Adobe Student’s social channels to help your portfolio stand out to future employers.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Students (in or outside the USA) aged 18+, who are passionate about illustration, digital media, animation, and comics.

HOW TO GET CONSIDERED Tag your best original non-Marvel work on your Behance portfolio with #madethis #Marvel.
If you don’t have a Behance portfolio, you can make one by simply signing up on Behance and uploading your work.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Work must be tagged on Behance no later than April 13, 2015 for consideration

Q&A:Who is eligible to participate?
Currently enrolled students from all majors and backgrounds. You must be over the age of 18.

I don’t live in the US, can I participate?
Yes! The opportunity is available globally.

Will I be paid for my work?
Yes. Each selected student will receive a cash payment.

Will hotel & accommodations be taken care of at San Diego Comic-Con?
Yes! The selected students traveling to San Diego Comic-Con will have transportation and hotel accommodations planned and paid for by Adobe, as well as a daily stipend!

I’m from out of the US. Will my visa be taken care of?
If you’re chosen, you will be responsible for applying for your visa. It can be completed by visiting https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ and following the application directions. We will reimburse you for any costs needed to obtain your visa.

Do I need Creative Cloud to participate?
You need a Behance portfolio and Creative Cloud skills. If you aren’t already a Creative Cloud member, download a free trial of all the Creative Cloud apps here!

Oct172014

Dangerdust (aka Dan and Dusty Danger) are a Columbus College of Art and Design duo who started anonymously creating large-scale chalk murals on-campus – just to take a break from their computers. Each board brings to life a famous quote, moving those who happen to stumble upon it.

We asked Dan and Dusty to create a board for us, and they did, choosing a quote by Adobe’s Scott Belsky: “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” We love what the created, and asked them to share some more of their thoughts about the design process in a quick Q&A:

How did you come up with the idea for the board?

Finding the right quote is half the battle. We usually pick quotes that we can relate to; each board is like a mini diary. This quote spoke to us because we are currently starting our own business, and we know from experience that it’s making the idea happen that is most important.

Our initial ideas for this board were obvious light bulb-type imagery. But this concept felt overused and we weren’t excited about it. We pushed further, and eventually landed on the concept of crumpled paper. The idea of crumpled up ideas, tossed in the trash, seemed to represent the quote well. Those ideas are never realized, and the quote encourages you to make them happen.

Can you provide an outline of the process you went through (ideation to completion of project)?

We wanted to make the board about business, so we started our research there. Once we found the Belsky quote, we researched him to get a better understanding of what the tone/mood of the board should be. The next step is looking for lettering / typography inspiration and sketching out some of our ideas. Once we had a couple of ideas we ran them past each other to see how we could improve them and if they were worth pursuing.

We landed on the crumpled paper idea. We used Illustrator and Photoshop to help us plan it out. First we created our type layout in Illustrator and shared the file on Creative Cloud so we could both play around with the layout. Once we had the final layout we printed it out, crumpled it up, and photographed it. Then we brought the photograph into Photoshop to edit and uploaded it to Creative Cloud for final edits.

After we had the general layout we gridded out the board to start chalking. This board was very detailed and required a reference image the whole time. Tedious. Finally after layering and blending for hours and hours the board was finally done. We photographed and tada! It’s complete. Like Belsky says, having an idea is one thing, but making it happen is a quite another.

Did you find any specific features or products within Creative Cloud that helped or enhanced your creative process?

The goal of starting Dangerdust was to get off the computer and work with our hands. So it might sound crazy coming from us, but we use Creative Cloud quite a bit. Don’t get us wrong, we always start by sketching, but often we bring our designs on the computer to edit. For our purpose we mainly use Photoshop and Illustrator to help flesh out our ideas. What makes Creative Cloud really beneficial to us is the sharing file system. We can upload files, share them, and comment on them. We are long-distance business partners, so being able to easily share files helps us stay on the same page, and allows us to make changes throughout each project.

Oct302013

This week, Adobe is launching an online mentorship program as part of the ongoing “Make it with Creative Cloud” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to highlight students, showcase their work, and create professional opportunities – ultimately providing students with the tools to aid both their “making” process and their ability to “make it” professionally. The goal of the Office Hours is to help students when they need it most- during exam times and finals.

For the next four weeks, Adobe will be providing students unprecedented access to top creative professionals in the form of live Q&A sessions. The first mentor to participate will be Chris Clarke, chief creative officer at advertising giant DigitasLBi. This week, Chris will share his real-world nuggets of wisdom focusing on how to use the power of storytelling in presentations. Tune in here on October 31st, at 11:30PM-12:30PM EST #madethis.

Additionally, throughout the week the Adobe Students social media channels will be featuring tips, advice, and inspirational quotes from Chris on a range of topics – everything from when you should (and should not) use a “banana” as part of a pitch to what he looks for when interviewing new creative professionals.

Oct172013

This fall, Adobe is inviting students from different corners of the world to become Adobe Student Reps on their respective campuses. Over 350 (and counting) students have already joined this global community of young creatives.

Student representatives help uncover the endless possibilities of Creative Cloud by showcasing how Adobe tools can help one stand out inside and outside of the classroom. For example, reps involved in last year’s pilot program engaged with students in a variety of different ways to fulfill creative needs on-campus:

At University of Massachusetts, our spring rep guided a Ski & Snowboard club through the process of producing a better stunt video using Premiere Pro and After Effects CC.

At Cornell, a rep helped his business fraternity members make a lasting first impression at the upcoming career fair with business cards and resumes created with InDesign CC.

Adobe also launched a Back to School campaign called, “Make it with Creative Cloud,” which is enhanced by the student reps as they actively document their content creation processes and encourage other students on campus to “make it” with Creative Cloud. They also share and celebrate completed projects by using the #madethis hashtag. Leveraging the power of social media, student representatives amplify enthusiasm generated by their on-campus events and grassroots activities and inspire students around the world to think about how Creative Cloud can give them an edge in school and in life.

We’re excited to be expanding this program nationally and piloting internationally to include up to 1000 Student Reps total. Please join us in spreading the word by encouraging college students you know to visit adobe.com/go/student_rep to submit an application.

May42013

As you may have already heard, today at Adobe MAX, the Creativity Conference, Adobe announced a significant update to Adobe Creative Cloud, the company’s flagship offering for creatives. Available in June and packed with new features, Creative Cloud reimagines the creative process through a stunning set of Creative Cloud desktop applications (“CC” apps) and sophisticated cross-device collaboration and publishing capabilities. Creative files can be stored, synced and shared, via Creative Cloud; and Behance, the world’s leading online creative community, is now integrated with Creative Cloud, so customers can showcase work, get feedback on projects and gain global exposure. For education, this means keeping a competitive edge and providing students and educators with access to the latest tools for college and career success.

This update to Creative Cloud includes the next generation of Adobe desktop applications—including Adobe Photoshop® CC, InDesign® CC, Illustrator® CC, Dreamweaver® CC and Premiere® Pro CC. Adobe’s desktop tools, previously known as Creative Suite (CS), are now branded CC to reflect that they are an integral part of Creative Cloud and have been reinvented to support a more intuitive, connected way of creating. Adobe Creative Cloud includes more than 30 tools and services that enable professional grade content creation and delivery across print, web, mobile apps, video and photography.

New Licensing Program for Education

Also today, Adobe announced a new licensing option for primary, secondary, and higher education institutions. The Education Enterprise Agreement (EEA) program is an easy-to-manage, term-based licensing program that gives educational institutions access to the new CC apps. With this program, institutional customers can have the creative tools they need to be more productive, foster creativity in teaching and learning, and help their students develop essential digital communication skills.

Mar52013

Adobe announced the 2013 Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA), a global design competition that recognizes the best work of student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists. Individual and group projects created with Adobe creative software are eligible for submission and will be judged by an international panel of design experts. The ADAA competition has attracted more than 27,000 student participants from a total of 75 countries since the program was introduced in 2001.

The ADAA 2013 competition features 12 entry categories in three segments: Interactive Experience, Motion and Video, and Traditional Media.

Students are encouraged to enter into either, or both, of the two submission sessions, allowing for more flexibility in their schedule. Submission deadlines are April 12 and June 21, 2013. All entries must be received by Adobe no later than 5:00 p.m. (PST) on June 21, 2013. Students can view complete contest guidelines and submit projects at www.adobeawards.com.

Semifinalists will be announced shortly after each judging phase and featured in the ADAA Facebook community. Three finalists per each of the 12 entry categories will be revealed in September while winners will be announced in October during an online awards ceremony and awarded Adobe software and cash prizes.

Oct122012

No doubt you’ve heard about Adobe Creative Cloud – still wondering what all the buzz is about? In a nutshell, it’s about having all the tools you’ll ever need for going from creative concept to production of A-grade visual projects, winning portfolios or stunning websites. With a special $19.99* monthly membership for students, you get access to all of the Creative Suite 6 tools, web hosting services, fonts, and cloud storage for syncing and sharing creative files. There are lots of reasons to love it:

Get Noticed: Deliver powerful presentations, a personalized web portfolio or a unique Facebook cover photo that everyone is raving about. Because Creative Cloud membership allows access to every Creative Suite 6 tool, the possibilities are endless. Feel a bit overwhelmed? Check out this collection of tutorials to help you get started.

Build Job-Ready Skills: According to a U.S. News & World Report article, one of five skills everyone needs to have on a resume is knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite. As you experiment and create eye-catching projects with Adobe solutions, you’re building experience with the latest industry-standard tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Now your resume will stand out from the crowd! Check out Adobe’s How-to Channel for more helpful videos and tutorials.

Receive Instant Upgrades: No more annual upgrade purchases. Cloud members have access to exclusive updates from Adobe, at no additional cost. When a new release comes out, it is automatically available via the Cloud. For example, we recently added several new features to Illustrator CS6 and just included an iPad publishing service, Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, Single Edition, for making digital editions of magazines and yearbooks.

Enjoy a Great Value: Creative Cloud membership is now available for students at $19.99 per month – that’s less than a night out with friends! The CS6 Master Collection would cost you about $800!

Nov92011

At our recent MAX conference, we announced the Adobe Creative Cloud – a groundbreaking initative that we believe will radically redefine the creative process. We’re excited about this new offering – it brings immense value to our customers allowing them to continue creating amazing things in whatever environment they choose.

The Adobe Creative Cloud consists of:

Desktop Applications — Every tool that is currently in Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection, such as Photoshop®, InDesign®, Illustrator®, Dreamweaver®, Premiere® Pro, After Effects®, as well as innovative new tools that are currently in beta, such as Adobe Edge and Muse.

Community –Collaboration features that allow members to share their creative work with other Creative Cloud members and forums to discuss and inspire new ideas.

We are excited to announce that membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud will be available in the first half of 2012 at a price of $49.99 per month for individuals and $69.99 per month per seat for workgroups, both for an annual plan.

Our move to this membership model allows us to keep our customers up to date with the latest Adobe innovations in our tools and related services. Creative Cloud will provide maximum flexibility, offer lower cost of entry, and add cutting-edge innovation on an on-going basis to keep our customers ahead of the changing technology and device landscape.

For customers who prefer to remain on the current licensing model, we will continue to offer our individual point products and Adobe Creative Suite editions as perpetual licenses. With regards to upgrades, we are changing our policy for perpetual license customers. In order to qualify for upgrade pricing when CS6 releases, customers will need to be on the latest version of our software (either CS5 or CS5.5 editions). If our customers are not yet on those versions, we’re offering a 20% discount through December 31, 2011 which will qualify them for upgrade pricing when we release CS6.

There is a tremendous shift happening around content creation, distribution and monetization. The Adobe Creative Cloud initiative has the potential to transform creativity as designers and developers look to create the best experiences across devices and platforms, while integrating tablet devices and cloud-based services into their workflows. I’m very excited about what this means for Adobe and our customers and look forward to providing the latest tools and services that enable them to express their creativity in new ways.